News

OCEAN stories, written by children across Clare and Limerick have been compiled into a colourful new anthology to mark an international celebration of the seas. Produced with the support of The Marine Institute’s Explorers Education Programme, An Ocean of Stories – An Anthology of Children’s Ocean Stories captures tales of adventure and imagination and highlight humanity’s reliance on the seas for survival. The book, published by Explorers Education Officer Carmel Madigan, includes over 50 stories, artwork and poems that were inspired by children’s ocean experiences. Its launch coincides with World Oceans Day on June 8. Patricia Orme, Joint Acting CEO of the Marine Institute, congratulated Carmel Madigan and the Explorers team on the launch of the book. “Carmel always puts the children first and this book has helped children find a positive place in a time that has been challenging for many in primary schools over the past year,” she said. “While we celebrate World Oceans Day – The Ocean: Life …

HISTORICAL tales of Viking invaders, salvaged ships and seafarers are among the exciting items that have been compiled as part of a new heritage website for Scattery Island. Inis Cathaigh (SIHG) sits snugly on the Shannon Estuary, 2km from Kilrush, and is the site of a sixth century monastery founded by St Senan. According to historical record, the island has been occupied since the 5th Century. This long and noble history is showcased on the new website, which highlights many items of historical and archaeological interest. For those who love history, folklore, legends or just a good story, this community archive website showcases and celebrates the long and varied past of Scattery Island. The island is also a place of great natural beauty. It is home to the ruins of seven churches, a round tower, sacred well, Napoleonic battery, lighthouse, and the remains of the last settlers’ homes and village. SIHG was set up in 2012 with the aim of …

TWO South-East Clare entrepreneurs were rewarded for their business acumen at the Network Ireland Limerick Businesswoman of the Year Awards. Ber Collins, Meelick, a director of Crystal Clear, won the Established Business Owner Award. Adopting the tagline “Say Goodbye to Bottled Water”, Crystal Clear works with schools, colleges, small and medium enterprises and multi-nationals to help them reduce waste from single use plastic bottles through the installation of mains-fed water dispensers. In an interview with The Clare Champion, Ms Collins, who has been living in Meelick for the last 16 years, said she was absolutely “thrilled” to win the award. She revealed one Ennis school went from recycling 600 plastic bottles daily down to zero after the installation of their contactless water system. Once a person places their empty plastic bottle into the contactless unit, a sensor triggers the flow of cold water that doesn’t stop until the bottle is full. The company has provided about 30 of these units …

IMPROVING the water quality of key waterways in East Clare is to be the subject of an online meeting next Wednesday, June 9 at 7.30pm. The community information event will focus on the role people can play in improving the Lower River Graney Catchment, which includes Lough O’Grady, flows through Scariff town, and along by Scariff Harbour and Reddan’s Quay in Tuamgraney, before entering Lough Derg. The catchment forms one of 190 Prioritised Areas for Action (PAA) for focused water quality improvements under the current River Basin Management Plan. The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) works to promote a healthy water environment by identifying water quality issues and seeking ways to improve them. LAWPRO will be visiting the Lower River Graney Catchment later this year and will work with the public, State agencies and the agricultural and forestry sectors to address water quality issues. LAWPRO encourages local people to get involved in the management of their local water bodies. Scariff …

STAFF in St Joseph’s Hospital have hit back at recent “inaccurate” claims that residents were left unwashed for months. The Clare Champion has learned that staff members in St Joseph’s are furious over recent public statements made by Deputy Violet Anne-Wynne and Deputy Cathal Crowe in the Dáil in view of their assertion patients were left unwashed for months. The newspaper can reveal that staff are also upset with the HSE for giving a public apology concerning care in St Joseph’s as they believe this was not justified. A union official has confirmed staff couldn’t shower patients during a Covid-19 outbreak but instead used a basin with soap and water, which was used to clean a patient from head to waist before this was emptied and a new basin was obtained to clean the patient’s bottom half. This was completed in line with agreed HSE procedures, which was not referenced in the recent HIQA report. The newspaper has been assured …

AS the local soccer season gets ready to kick off in the coming weeks, one long-standing member of the Clare District Soccer League has been very active over the past number months putting the finishing touches to a club history that tells the story of the game’s emergence in East Clare from the 1970s onwards. The Tulla United story will be launched in the coming months, but ahead of its publication date the East Clare club has put a call out to all present and past members, as well as supporters, in an effort to source additional photographs for inclusion in the finished product. “We have gathered a good deal of photographs so far,’ says Denis Corry of the Tulla United History Committee, “but are eager to see if there are any more photos of interest out there involving the club over the years. “We are particularly interested to see if any of the older club members or their families …

CONCERN about the lack of a definitive starting date for the proposed Primary Health Centre in Kilrush has been expressed by a local Dáil deputy. Sinn Féin TD Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne is calling for more concrete commitment and action to be taken to ensure community health care services continue across rural Clare. The Sinn Féin deputy’s comments came following a vague and non-committal response from the Department of Health concerning the development of the promised Primary Health Centre in Kilrush two years after it was officially announced. “The fact that this new Primary Health Centre was announced in March of 2019, but the HSE are still effectively refusing to commit to any concrete action or development two years down the line is unacceptable,” said Deputy Wynne. “We all know that various developmental projects have been stalled as a result of the pandemic but the HSE’s response to any questions seeking clarification about projected timeline are unnecessarily vague and seem to …

SCARIFF BAY COMMUNITY RADIO (SBCR) will be online only until it secures another licence from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI). The highly popular weekend station, run by volunteers, had been operating under a 100-day licence which expired on Saturday, May 29. A statement from the board said: “As before, we now have to stop FM transmissions until, hopefully, we receive our ten-year FM licence, which we have applied for.” In the meantime, SBCR said it is to continue its normal schedule and produce shows, making them available online, on mobile players and as podcasts on Scariffbayradio.com. Eoin O’Hagan, PRO for the station, said the long-term plan is to operate under a 10-year licence, which could be secured by the autumn. The 100-day licence is due to be granted in advance of that. “We’re delighted that our roster of presenters has grown through the Covid lockdown,” Mr O’Hagan said. “We’ve increased the number of shows broadcast, including broadcasting Mass, our …